Stand By Me’s Wil Wheaton Reveals How His Performance Was Informed By Alleged Childhood Emotional Abuse

Wil Wheaton made his professional acting debut when he was just eight years old, playing a small part in a 1981 TV movie title A Long Way Home. His credits leading up to Stand By Me included The Defiant Ones, The Last Starfighter, and the animated The Secret of NIMH, but it was Rob Reiner’s 1986 film that proved to be his breakout performance – eventually leading to a high-profile role on Star Trek: The Next Generation.